Bob Black Jack, Zenyatta, David Flores
 

David Flores took off Zenyatta to rider Bob Black Jack in the Santa Anita Derby rather than go to Oaklawn to rider her in the Apple Blossom.

As career decisions have gone by riders, could there be a more unwise career move? I mean who is David Flores at this point?

Just thought that interesting.

Good point but Mike Smith was probably there first choice from the get go.

Also, how did Garret Gomez lose the mount on Gio Pionti earlier this year

Flores is still around? lol

Hard to knock flores for making that move. Flores was most likely trying to secure a derby mount which is every jockeys desire rather than ride in the Apple Blossom which was Zenyatta's first step into G1 and was second choice.

Gomez was commited to ride Life is Sweet the same day Gio Ponti ran in the Man o War, Clement entered him late and Gomez had already taken the mount for The Gold Cup.

How about Mike Smith choosing Talkin Man over Thunder Gulch in the '95 Kentucky Derby?

Smith himself was to busy riding horses at Churchill Downs (Tessa Blue in the Falls City) to ride Zenyatta in her debut at Hollywood.

So maybe we should be grateful for Smith's good fortune instead of mocking Flores' bad luck.

I know the whole story friend...it was Mike's horse but he committed to ride and unlike some people did not flip the trainer.

Somehow though the decision on Talking Man did not mean much to his career....I am saying this could have made Flores' career. And Talking Man actually had a lot of talent, no one thought, at least that I know at SA, thought BBJ was a serious horse to win the Derby.

Tiago, who Smith had the mount on, made the trip with Zenyatta to Oaklawn and ran the same day as Zenyatta in the Oaklawn Handicap. It made sense for Smith to ride both horses that day.

What a great stretch battle in the Oaklawn Handicap between Tiago and Heatseeker. I cannot believe that Tiago has not run on the dirt since.

:D